Origins of an Angel
by Kittengrl39
Summary: KuramaOC. Third in the Angel series. We all know Medra's past. So why has a letter turned up from people that say they know where she came from and why she has wings? And why is it from the Makai? Confused? I sure am. Read and review, people!
1. Chapter 1 The Letter

I'm still here!  
  
Thank you all for staying with me up until this point. Good reviews mean the world to me. They help me realize what I need to work on and develop me as an author. Plus, they make me happy.  
  
In this fic, I'm going to focus more on developing Medra's emotional depth. I realized that, earlier, she may have come off as a Mary-Sue, when it's quite the opposite. Medra is not invincible, nor does she take her life for granted. In fact, it could come tumbling down at any second.  
  
This will also be fun to write because I had no idea what the hell was going on and still don't. @_@ It all became a little too weird for me.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Yu Hakusho, don't you think you'd be watching this instead of reading it? It would make everything a hell of a lot easier...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Origins of an Angel  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yusuke stormed down an empty street, snow blowing in eddies around his ankles. "Dammit..." he muttered, remembering his recent conversation with Koenma. He scowled and bundled up further in his coat.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yusuke's fists slammed down on the desk. "Why CAN'T she be a Spirit Detective?! She's been on a lot of our missions, she can fight, she's got power... why CAN'T she be-?!"  
  
"Calm yourself, Yusuke!" Koenma shouted, lowering his voice to normal levels as Yusuke scowled and subsided into one of the chairs. "Believe or not, there ARE reasons that Medra cannot be a Spirit Detective."  
  
"Then tell me," Yusuke growled.  
  
"I was getting to that. First, although you say she has experience, she only met your team about two years ago, in the Dark Tournament. She has not had the chance to go on many missions." The little god held up his hand to forestall Yusuke's protest. "I know, she can already fight, but you can't deny that training can only do so much. She does not have the field experience necessary to join the team."  
  
"That can be remedied, if you'd only let us take her along," Yusuke muttered.  
  
"Second, she loves Kurama."  
  
"What does THAT have to do with anything?!"  
  
Koenma looked at him gravely. "Because she is in love with him, she might take foolish risks on his behalf. Can you honestly say that if it came down to his life or the team's, she would choose the team?"  
  
Yusuke thought, ~Of course she would. Medra's no fool, she would sacrifice him for the good of the team.~  
  
~... Wouldn't she?~  
  
"And third, she's a girl."  
  
"Okay now, that's just unfair," Yusuke said bluntly. "Since when do we have gender discrimination?"  
  
"I didn't mean it that way!" Koenma snapped. "Let me explain. If she was to join the team, she would be the only female member. As such, she would most likely be used as bait for any missions that require it - and sometimes, you may not get there in time." Koenma looked gravely at Yusuke. "I'm sure you wouldn't wish to see her used that way."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yusuke growled. ~Of course I wouldn't. But she deserves a chance.~  
  
~But... what Koenma said... makes sense...~  
  
"DAMMIT!" he yelled into the night. "You're not supposed to be right!!!"  
  
"Yusuke!"  
  
Yusuke looked up as Botan swooped in on her oar, wincing a little and rubbing at her ears. "Hey, Botan," he said.  
  
"Do you think you could turn it down a little? My ears are ringing," she said. Then she pulled an envelope from her sleeve and held it up. "Koenma has asked you to call a meeting in your apartment," she told him.  
  
"Oh, has he?" Yusuke remarked sarcastically, then started walking away.  
  
"He said to bring Medra!" she called after him.  
  
Yusuke froze. ~Medra?~  
  
~But... why?~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An hour later, Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Medra and Botan were all in Yusuke's living room. Botan spoke first. "We have recently recieved a letter from a little-known group of demons in the Makai." She paused for dramatic emphasis. "It's addressed to Medra."  
  
All heads turned to look at the girl in question, who looked stunned and pointed a finger at her chest as if to say, "Me?"  
  
Botan nodded. "I have the letter here, if any of you would like to read it."   
  
The boys all crowded around the piece of parchment, while Medra leaned over their shoulders and tried to read it.   
  
To Medra Tsunimayo and the Reikai Tantei:  
  
("Hey, you said it was addressed only to Medra!" "I did not! I said it was addressed to her, not only her!" "Everyone shush, I'm trying to read." "And we all know how much of a struggle that must be for you." "Hey, I heard that!" "SSHH!")  
  
We would like to ask your assistance in a matter that greatly concerns us. We know of the truth behind your wings, powers and past. If you, also, would like to learn of this, come to Mount Arayahh in the Makai within four days. We will be waiting for you.  
  
- The Kallaed'im  
  
"Well, that was short," complained Yusuke, as he dropped back to his seat.  
  
"Kallaed'im..." Kurama mused. "That means `Winged Ones' in an ancient dialect of Makai speech."  
  
"Do you think we should go?" asked Kuwabara dubiously. "It might be a trap..."  
  
"I believe that is up to Medra," Kurama said, looking over at her.  
  
The girl in question had not moved from the spot where she stood. She looked a little pale, although she jerked her head up when she realized that everyone was staring at her. She smiled weakly. "I... I need some time to think about this. Could I have that letter, please?" Botan gave it to her without a word. "Thanks."  
  
She retreated behind the nearest door and closed it behind her.  
  
No one spoke for a moment.  
  
"Do you think she knows she just went into your room, Urameshi?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Medra leaned back against the door, then slid down and sat on the floor with a bump. The letter shook like a leaf in her grasp. She put it down gently, as if it were a bomb that might go off, then buried her head in her hands. One thought circled round and round in her head. ~No one was supposed to know... no one was ever supposed to know...~  
  
Finally, she raised her head. The piece of parchment sat there innocently, yet she shuddered at the sight of it. ~What do they mean? Do they know? What's going on?~  
  
The letter had spoken of her true past. No one here knew that - that she was not really of this world...  
  
Ostensibly, she had come from Oregon, in the USA. She and her parents had moved to Japan after an ill-intentioned person had discovered her wings. (Luckily, both her parents had taken a course in Japanese and subsequently taught it to her.) Feeling guilty, she had run away and been blown to Hanging Neck Isle, where first Jin and Touya and then the Tantei had found her. They had brought her home.  
  
But now...  
  
She moaned softly, and got up to go sit on Yusuke's bed. What if they knew? What would they think of her then?  
  
For she was not what she appeared.  
  
In truth, these past two years had been the best ones of her life - and very nearly the only. She knew she had a past here, but she couldn't remember it clearly - it came to her in flashes, like a long-forgotten dream. Her true past was not very long, but very confusing. The first thing she truly remembered was finding herself in an odd place and seeing a young girl looking down at her with a shocked expression. Things had happened very quickly then. She got a crash couse in humanity, though some things seemed oddly familiar, and the very next morning had requested to be put into a show she had found in the girl's head. And it had worked. She remembered the long fall, the odd pulling, a sense of strain quickly snapped, like a rubber band, and then... she was there.  
  
She had found a place here, in this new world. She was accepted and loved. She had a vague inkling that this wasn't the first time, that she had been somewhere before - but it seemed impossible. Before she had been in the girl's head, she remembered nothing. And now, someone may have found out her true past.  
  
She shivered, and tried to think about the situation logically. There were several possibilities. First - and she dreaded the chance - they might have discovered her otherwordly origins, and wanted to confront her about them. Second, this might be a trap, and the whole thing was a lie intended to intrigue the team and bring them into the enemy's hands. She wasn't sure what enemy, but the Reikai Tantei seemed to have made quite a few. Third, they might have connected her with some vague, ancient legend, decided that she was the "chosen one", and asked for help; when all they really needed was someone to bless their crops, or do rituals, or whatever it was heroes did after the prophecy was fulfilled. And fourth -   
  
She caught her breath as a new opportunity presented itself to her, then shook her head in denial. No. Impossible. They couldn't have... There was no past for her to discover.  
  
... Or was there?  
  
Maybe - just maybe - they were telling the truth. Maybe these "Winged Ones" really did have the answers to her past. Maybe they could fill the void in her memory she had struggled with for so long.  
  
Medra suddenly realized something and hung her head, feeling like a fool. How could she have thought they would have the answers when she didn't come from this world? It was a paradox, impossible to answer.  
  
But they would never know...  
  
... If she didn't try.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
All looked up as the door to Yusuke's bedroom opened. Medra stood in the doorway, looking solemn and thoughtful.  
  
"Well?" Kurama spoke into the silence.  
  
She looked up, startled, and then a slight smile crossed her face. "When do we leave?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
CUT!!!!  
  
I'll just leave you in suspense there. Sorry it took so long to get this up, but I was on vacation and couldn't get to a computer. @_@ ^_^ But I'm back!  
  
Read & Review, peoples! Ja! 


	2. Chapter 2 The Mission

I AM SO ETERNALLY SORRY!!!!!  
  
I meant to get the next chapter up as soon as I could, but I was attacked by a combined force of OCs and plot bunnies. I haven't updated this in such a long time. I'll try and work on that, okay?  
  
Squeakers: My vacation was great, but I'd rather be writing.  
  
Naoko Kensaku: *giggles* It's quite interesting to read between the lines in your name. You liked it? Really? *is happy*  
  
Yaoi-Rules: Hey there! Here's a chapter to make up for it, okay?  
  
Kunoichi Hikage: You're back! *glomps* I didn't know where you where... Glad you like it! I finally have the next chapter up!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I thought I owned my brain, but I lost it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Origins of an Angel  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"We can't come?!"  
  
Three voices chorused the words in disbelief, aimed at Botan, who raised her hands and shrugged.  
  
"Koenma-sama says it may be dangerous," she said. Then she scowled. "Personally, I don't think it would be very dangerous at all."  
  
"Yes, and we'd all like to come along with Medra," Keiko chimed in.  
  
"I would have liked to go, as I have not been able to spend much time with Medra-san," Yukina admitted shyly.  
  
Shizuru flipped some hair over her shoulder. "So? Let's follow them."  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
Shizuru gazed back. "What? We wait until they've gone through the portal or whatever, then Botan keeps it open and we sneak through and follow them. By the time they catch us, it'll be too late and they'll have to take us along."  
  
"That's a great idea!" Botan bubbled enthusiastically. "All right, let's start planning. To begin with, we'll need food..."  
  
"I can help with that!" Keiko volunteered.  
  
"Excellent!"  
  
The night wore on as the girls planned their mission.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Reikai Tantei stood waiting for the portal to be opened. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked determined and ready. Hiei seemed bored, with a let's-get-this-over-with expression on his face. Kurama was still a bit worried about Medra, who looked a little pale, but she brushed off his concerns and stood determined.  
  
The portal opened. "Well, off you go!" Botan said cheerily.  
  
Yusuke looked at her oddly. "Why are you so cheery all of a sudden? I thought you were mad because you didn't get to go."  
  
Botan sweatdropped and said quickly, "Oh, now Yusuke, it wouldn't do to be moping around while I see you off! Besides, you'll return soon, right? Now off you go!"  
  
The rest nodded and entered, Yusuke still looking a bit suspicious. The portal closed behind them.  
  
Botan breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew. Nearly lost it there for a second." Then she straightened and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Botan to Keiko. Get ready to break cover. Over."  
  
On the other end, Keiko sweatdropped. "Botan, you don't have to act like we're spies."  
  
"Yes, but it's fun!"  
  
A sigh came from the walkie-talkie. "We'll be ready in a minute."  
  
Botan nodded and clicked off the walkie-talkie. Then she took something like a small marble from the sleeve of her kimono and set it on the ground.  
  
At first, nothing happened. Then a crackle of energy was heard and a portal opened into the Makai.   
  
Shizuru, Keiko and Yukina came out from around the corner, and joined Botan at the portal. "The original portal was set for a two hour walk away from Mount Arayahh. I checked the coordinates and set this one for fifteen minute's walk away from that. They shouldn't be able to detect us," Botan explained.  
  
The rest nodded and quickly jumped through the portal. Botan took one last look and stepped through.   
  
She appeared in the middle of a deep forest. It appeared to be late afternoon, judging from the shadows cast by the leaves and the rays of sunlight piercing the thick canopy. There was a slight chill, though, and the girls shivered as a breeze brushed past their arms, only lightly covered by thin t-shirts.  
  
"Well, we're here!" Botan said brightly, refusing to be intimidated.  
  
Keiko shook herself and smiled back. "Yes. Let's get going." She looked at Botan expectantly. "You do know which way they're going, don't you?"  
  
"Of course!"   
  
Botan glanced around, then rummaged in her pack and took out a compass. She took a few readings and pointed to a direction slightly to their right. "That way."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive!"  
  
Shizuru sighed. "Well, let's get going, then."  
  
The girls headed off, Keiko leading and Yukina, who hadn't said a word yet, following meekly behind Shizuru. Botan was about to follow when she paused, remembering something.   
  
She reached back through the portal and tapped the marble-like object once. The portal began to shrink, and she picked up the marble, stowing it in her sleeve once the portal had completely disappeared. "Can't forget our ticket home," she muttered, and then hurried to catch up with the others.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The girls continued trekking, glancing around warily every few minutes. After about half an hour, Botan called a halt to get water and check their bearings.   
  
Keiko sat down with a glad sigh, letting her pack slip from her shoulders. "I never thought walking could be so tiring! Maybe it's all the food in my bag." She grimaced. "I told Shizuru not to bring any beer." Keiko brightened up a bit as a thought occurred. "I guess I'll just have to lighten the load a little!"   
  
She began rummaging around in her bag, muttering, "Now where are those candy bars?..." She didn't see the bright yellow eyes peering out at her from a bush. Or hear the low, angry growl.  
  
That is, until it was right next to her.  
  
Keiko heard an odd sound, almost like a growl, and remembered where she was. She gulped and looked up slowly.   
  
A huge wolf was standing not four feet away from her. The gray fur was matted with scars and old wounds, some of them festering. Its bright yellow eyes gleamed at her, its tongue lolling out of its mouth, which was foaming slightly. Its muzzle was streaked with what looked like blood.   
  
Keiko backed away slowly, never taking her eyes off the wolf. "B-Botan," she whispered, fumbling for the ferry girl's hand.  
  
"All right! All we need to do is keep walking for about another half-hour and- Keiko? What's-" She turned and saw the wolf. Her eyes grew round. "Oh..."  
  
Shizuru and Yukina turned to see what the two were staring at and caught sight of the beast. Yukina went cold in fright and Shizuru's eyes went hard. They both clustered up with Botan and Keiko.   
  
The wolf sat down, pointed its muzzle to the sky, and howled.   
  
Simultaneous howls were heard from various points around them, and soon they were surrounded by the demonic wolves. There were at least seven, with slavering jaws and blood-streaked muzzles, looking like something from a horror movie.   
  
"What- do we do now?" asked Keiko tremulously.  
  
Botan bit her lip. "I don't know... I was not planning for this..."  
  
The first wolf let out a cry, which seemed to be the signal to attack. Seven sets of teeth and claws flew at them. Yukina screamed...  
  
"Shotgun!"  
  
Suddenly the glade was full of blue light, as the bullets from Yusuke's Shotgun found their targets. The wolves thumped to the ground. Any that weren't quite dead were shortly decapitated by Hiei's katana.  
  
Yusuke himself burst into the clearing. He wasted no time on starting to ream them out. "Are you all crazy?! What the hell are you doing here?! You could have been killed!"  
  
"Oh, Yusuke!" Keiko cried out in relief, and threw her arms around him. Yusuke was a bit thrown by this action and trailed off, blushing.  
  
Hiei snorted and sheathed his katana. "You shouldn't be here." He glared at Botan. "You, of all people, should know that. Didn't Koenma tell you that this could be dangerous?"  
  
Botan bristled at the insult. "We WERE perfectly safe within the information I had been given. I was NOT aware that this area was inhabited by RABID WOLVES!!" She shouted, emphasizing the last two words by pointing at the bodies of the late beasts.  
  
"Hn," came the reply.  
  
Medra, Kurama and Kuwabara caught up with the others just then. "Is everyone all right?" Kurama asked anxiously, looking from face to face. "Kuwabara had a premonition of danger, so we sent Yusuke and Hiei on ahead."  
  
Medra stared. "Botan? Yukina? Keiko? What are you all doing here?"  
  
"What, I don't count?" Shizuru asked with a fake pout.  
  
Kuwabara looked terrified at the sight of his sister, but forgot that she or, indeed, anyone else in the immediate area was there when he spotted Yukina. He bounded over to her and started going on about it was dangerous here and she shouldn't have come, but now that he was there he would protect her from anything, which seemed to include everything from bugs to minor gods.  
  
Hiei's eyebrows twitched and his hand slid again to his katana. The fact that his sister probably wouldn't like it if Kuwabara's blood splattered all over her was the only thing that kept him from decapitating the baka right then and there.  
  
Keiko had removed her arms from Yusuke's neck by this time. He got his composure back and scowled. "Well, I think you've had a taste of the danger this place can present. It's best that you leave right away."  
  
"Now, wait a minute, Yusuke," Botan intervened. "We did have a minor accident, but we can handle it. Now that we're with you, we'll have protection, and-"  
  
"No!" Yusuke glared at her. "We can't protect such a large group. None of you are fighters. That means four liabilities - four potential targets."  
  
"Liabilities?!" Botan snapped. "I like the sound of that. (A/N: She's being sarcastic. She's not that much of an airhead.) The only reason we needed help was because we weren't ready. I've seen Keiko's slap take down a Makai-insect infested human before, and you should know that my oar is not to be taken lightly."  
  
"Oh yeah?!" Yusuke shot back. "There are more dangerous things in these woods than those wolves! There are demons that could rip your head off faster than you could blink! There are TREES that can melt your bones with a single touch!"  
  
"Actually, the Death Tree is found in more northern parts..." Kurama murmured, and earned a scathing look from Yusuke.  
  
Yusuke took a deep breath and continued. "The point is, even if you CAN defend yourselves a little, it's not enough. And if we get seriously attacked, we may not be able to protect you." He looked around the small circle. "And none of us want to lose you."  
  
Botan's stubborn expression remained on her face for a moment longer. Then she gave in and sighed. "You're right, Yusuke. Much as I hate to admit it."  
  
"So will you go home now?"  
  
"Of course, just give me a minute." Botan fumbled around in her sleeve for a minute. She frowned, puzzled. She searched deeper. Then her face went as pale as ice.  
  
"Well?" Yusuke asked, just a little bit freaked out by her actions. "What happened?"  
  
She slowly brought her eyes up to meet his, her face ashen. She held up her sleeve and showed him the tiny tear at the bottom.  
  
"It... must have fallen out... while we were walking..." she quavered.  
  
"What?!" Yusuke demanded. "What fell out?!"  
  
"The... portal..."  
  
Yusuke flinched back involuntarily. "What?!"  
  
Keiko gasped. "Now I remember! Botan had a marble that produced the portal we went through! You mean it's gone?!"  
  
Botan nodded, tears beginning to prick the corners of her eyes.   
  
Yusuke sweatdropped. ~Big, ugly demons I can handle. Evil warriors bent on taking over the world, sure. But crying girls...~  
  
"C'mon, now," he said, awkwardly patting her on the back. "You can come along with us until we find a way to get you home." He regretted it instantly.  
  
Botan, on the other hand, perked up. "You mean it?!"  
  
"Well, there's obviously no other way to get you home, now is there?" Kurama said.  
  
"Hn. Only because that fool ferry girl lost the transportable portal," Hiei said. Botan glared at him.  
  
"All right!" Kuwabara yelled happily. "More time to spend with my dear Yukina!"  
  
Hiei's hand spasmed on the hilt of his katana, but he was held back by Kurama's hand on his shoulder and an almost imperceptible shake of the head. He growled and subsided.  
  
Only Medra seemed worried. "I don't know, guys," she said, troubled. "We don't know what's up ahead..."  
  
"Oh, come on," Shizuru said, draping a sisterly arm around her shoulders and taking a swig of sake. ("Hey, no drinking!" "Shut up, kid!" "She's right... it's better not to mess with my sister, Urameshi... *mutters* Bad memories...") She winked at Medra. "It's best if you have some female companionship on this trip."  
  
"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" shouted Keiko, suddenly full of energy.  
  
"Yeah!" yelled Botan, right behind her.  
  
Yusuke sighed, with a put-upon expression. "This... was a bad idea..."  
  
"No duh, Sherlock," Medra said, uncharacteristically sarcastic. She glared at him and stomped off.  
  
"What's her problem?" Yusuke said, scratching his head.  
  
"Ano... Yusuke..."  
  
"Eh?" He turned to look at Kurama, who was pointing to the girls, already nearing the mountain's base.  
  
"Maybe we should figure that out AFTER we've caught up with them?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Panting after a long, hard climb, Botan and Keiko came to a plateau and flopped down upon it, drinking from their water bottles.  
  
"Maybe... starting first... wasn't... such a good idea..." Botan panted.  
  
"Hey, guys, where did you..." Medra came up to the plateau and trailed off, staring. The rest of the gang shortly followed.  
  
Botan and Keiko wondered what was going on until they realized that she wasn't staring AT them, but at some point BEHIND them. A chill ran down their spines. They slowly turned to look behind them and gasped at what they saw.  
  
A man stood behind them. He was old, but it wasn't the kind of old you connect with retirement homes and walkers. Rather, it appeared that this man had fought until he could fight no more, and then still kept his body in shape for whatever might come. He wore a loose shirt and pants, without shoes, and had a long, flowing white beard. But that wasn't why they were staring.  
  
They were staring because he had wings...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hmmm. That didn't suck as much as I thought it would.   
  
Believe me, I am trying to get chapters out on all my fics as fast as I can. I'll try and finish this one up. Oh, that reminds me. All of you! Go read Instrumental! Now! It is my masterpiece... 


End file.
